32 THE SOIL OF SARAWAK. 



always preceded by lightning and thunder, and gene- 

 rally by strong wind. 



Though the vegetation of no country in the world 

 is so luxuriant as that of the Eastern islands, it has 

 been proved by many writers that the soil of some of 

 them is not so fertile as the appearance of the forests 

 would lead the cultivator to expect. This remark 

 particularly applies to Sumatra, the forests of which 

 are supported in their luxuriance, in a great measure, 

 by the moisture of the surrounding atmosphere. Java 

 has, however, been proved to be, in the very highest 

 degree, fertile, and capable of producing every thing in 

 the greatest perfection suitable to a tropical climate ; 

 and in this respect, from what I have observed of the 

 soil of Borneo, I should imagine it to be equally pro- 

 ductive. 



The soil of Sarawak, with which I am best 

 acquainted, and which, from the similarity of produc- 

 tions over the whole island, may probably be fairly 

 taken as an example of its whole extent, is of a rich 

 strong yellow loam, covered to a depth of from six 

 inches to a foot with black and very productive 

 vegetable mould, which has been formed by the 

 decayed vegetation of the forests. Beneath the loam, 

 which is generally from ten to twenty feet in depth, is 

 found a stratum of gravel in the districts where 

 diamonds are found j in others, it rests upon the 

 sandstone and limestone rocks, in their particular dis- 

 tricts. It is admirably suited for the production of 

 the sugar-cane, which here grows amongst the Dyaks 



